Hartlepool United midfielder Nicky Featherstone discusses 'tough' Tuesday training sessions and the difference it's made

The Tuesday sessions are becoming notorious in the Pools squad as Dave Challinor pushes his players to their limit with the aid of GPS data and analysis.

The Pools boss feels his players are reaping the rewards of training but how do the players feel about it? In-form midfielder Nicky Featherstone is one player who seems to have really bought into the demands of the coaching team.

“We cover a lot of ground on Tuesdays, [Challinor] is massive on the high-intensity stuff,” Featherstone said.

“It’s not about the distance but the speed in which you cover short distances. The gaps in training and small-sided games open up maybe Monday or Tuesday and then they become shorter and the sharpness comes on Thursday and Friday.

“The Tuesday sessions are tough but I think you can tell we look a lot fitter.”

The midfielder netted his first professional brace against Notts County on Saturday. As well as being one of Pools top performers on the pitch, Featherstone is also one of the top performers in the Tuesday sessions, according to the data.

“The way in which I play, you probably don’t get to see the intensity of the running but the results in training are up there,” he added.

“It’s something I’ve taken on board and everyone seems to be getting much fitter and the energy and intensity we played at was as good as I’ve seen it.”